Regret Over Foreign Prisoner's Suicide

The Stormont Justice Minister David Ford has expressed regret at the death by suicide of a foreign national prisoner (know as Prisoner 'B') in Maghaberry Prison in March 2009.

He was speaking after the NI Prisoner Ombudsman made several recommendations following the death of the 36-year-old man in the Co Antrim prison last year.

He was one of 48 Chinese nationals arrested after a police operation in June 2008 and now, the report by Pauline McCabe has said the deceased had been given no clear guidance or expectation of what the outcome of his trial would be and he took his life nine months later.

The Ombudsman made nine recommendations in all to the Prison Service, some of which also involve the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT), and all of which have been accepted. The Director General of the Prison Service has published an Action Plan in response to the recommendations contained in the Prisoner Ombudsman's Report. Three of the recommendations have already been implemented, while the others are being addressed.

The Minister (pictured) said: "I wish to thank the Ombudsman for her report. While the prisoner was well cared for in prison, the report has identified some learning points.

"He was a vulnerable prisoner who had the added difficulties of having little or no English and being so far from home. Staff did much good work with him during his time in prison and he was allowed a free 10-minute phone call home on a weekly basis.

"The Ombudsman has however identified some shortcomings in relation to data recording and these are being addressed in the action plan which is being published in response to her report," the Alliance Minister continued.

"The Ministerial Forum on Safer Custody, which I chair, is working with a range of senior representatives from the criminal justice, healthcare and voluntary sectors to address these issues, among others.

"It will oversee the final implementation of the Prison Service's action plan, together with the Prison Service's existing Corporate Safer Custody Project.

"The forum will ensure that vulnerable offenders are considered within the context of healthcare as well as criminal justice."

The report identifies the length of the police investigation and the time the case was coming to trial as possible factors that motivated the prisoner to take his own life.

Commenting on this issue the Minister said: "The report provides evidence of the prisoner being deeply frustrated at the time it was taking for his case to come to trial.

"The issue of delay is a priority for me and the Criminal Justice Board and a multi-agency group has been established to identify ways of speeding up the process."

In conclusion the Minister said: "The Prison Service has many strengths and dedicated staff and undertakes much positive work in serving and protecting the community.

"Nevertheless, this tragedy shows that there is always room for improvement, and both I and the Director General are determined to ensure that the learning points identified from this tragic death are taken on board in an effort to reduce the risk of future re-occurrence."

(BMcC/GK)